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Sumit SinghalSumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination.

Tribal DDB Amsterdam is a highly ranked digital marketing agency and part of DDB international, worldwide one of the largest advertising offices. i29 interior architects designed their new offices for about 80 people.

With Tribal DDB our goal was to create an environment where creative interaction is supported and to achieve as much workplaces as possible in a new structure with flexible desks and a large open space. All of this while maintaining a work environment that stimulates long office hours and concentrated work. As Tribal DDB is part of an international network a clear identity was required, which also fits the parent company DDB. The design had to reflect an identity that is friendly and playful but also professional and serious. The contradictions within these questions, asked for choices that allow great flexibility in the design.

Situated in a building where some structural parts could not be changed it was a challenge to integrate these elements in the design and become an addition to the whole. i29 searched for solutions to various problems which could be addressed by one grand gesture. At first a material which could be an alternative to the ceiling system, but also to cover and integrate structural parts like a big round staircase. Besides that, acoustics became a very important item, as the open spaces for stimulating creative interaction and optimal usage of space was required.

Images Courtesy i29 l interior architects

This led us to the use of fabrics. It is playful, and can make a powerful image on a conceptual level, it is perfect for absorbing sound and therefore it creates privacy in open spaces. And we could use it to cover scars of demolition in an effective way. There is probably no other material which can be used on floors, ceiling, walls and to create pieces of furniture and lampshades then felt. It’s also durable, acoustic, fireproof and environment friendly. Which doesn’t mean it was easy to make all of these items in one material!

Images Courtesy i29 l interior architects

i29 always looks for choices that answer to multiple questions at the same time. They tell a conceptual story about the company, the space and the users of the space. They deal with specific practical and functional issues and they have to have some autonomous quality as well. These ‘levels’ are intertwined; one leads you to the other. If you see how smart it serves it purpose practically it leads you to the company. If you see the powerful image that is non-depended, it leads you to the functionality, and round it goes.

Images Courtesy i29 l interior architects

At i29 we believe that simplicity builds character. Compare it to a human being; strong individuals always have one or few characteristics that stand out. We all know how hard it is to stay focused on the one thing that is most important to you. The same way it is with a design. The result of being very selective is that you have to push the one choice to the limit. It also provides a field of tension, and gives energy to a space without fail into chaos. But more importantly it leaves you with a charismatic environment.

We are Jaspar Jansen (1970) and Jeroen Dellensen (1972) In ‘01 we joined forces and a year later i29 l interior architects was born, a creative and versatile interior design studio. Our aim is to create intelligent designs and striking images. Space is the leitmotiv,the result always clear, with a keen eye for detail. Our approach is practical yet based on strong ideas articulated in clear concepts. We try to get to the core of things but keep it looking simple. Our clients are open minded and involved. It is most important to us to enjoy the process together and to get everything out of it!

Images Courtesy i29 l interior architects

We are not alone in our voyage. In a short period of time many projects have been realized for a wide variety of clients, both private and business. We’ve been nominated several times for awards like the Rotterdam Design Award, dutch design awards, LAI awards and The Great Indoors award. We won the Dutch Design Prize for best interior design and The Great Indoors Award for best office design. Our projects have been published in (inter) national magazines and books.

“The fact that this firm has been nominated twice before, in the categories Concentrate & Collaborate and Serve & Facilitate, illustrates the convincing power of the projects of i29 Interior Architects. In the jury’s eyes, this firm shows how capable it is of linking architectonic components with intensive studies of surfaces that gain maximum impact through the use of a colour or typography. This firm represents a method in which architecture and interior architecture come together in a model combination”.

“Temporality and sustainability are concepts difficult to reconcile. This is an observation that certainly holds true for the interior, and raises an important question for the future, given that many interiors do not last longer than five years. This design for a temporary office seems to have formulated an answer to the call for identity and the demand for sustainability. With this simple manoeuvre, by which all individual elements are connected by the colour black and a simple zoning system, i29 Interior Architects formulates an intriguing answer to this demand, and presents an outstanding case study”.

After years of disqualification based on typology, suddenly the school seems to be once again the focal point of interest of architects and interior designers. The level of interest has led to an interior architecture that revisits the interface of optimum education and an optimal spatial environment. The jury was deeply impressed by this project by i29 interior Architects and Snelder Architects, in which they see an extraordinarily mature touch that articulates a variety of spaces in a remarkably focused way. But at the same time, the interior manoeuvres used in this project demonstrated a focused specificity in both the unique furniture designs and the service of the school’s educational mission. The jury appreciates the way in which every aspect of the interior design was approached to produce a clear image vocabulary.